1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a computer simulated “virtual reality” universe in which human beings are able to interact with automated entities and other human beings in a modeled environment served to multiple clients via a networked system, and more particularly to systems and methods for enabling user-defined transportation and layout in a three dimensional virtual reality universe.
2. Description of Related Art
Various simulation games are known in which a 3-D physical world (actual or fantasy) is simulated. Games of this type are sometimes referred to as “virtual reality” or “virtual reality universe” (VRU) games. In known VRU games, an actual or fantasy universe is simulated within a computer memory. Multiple players may participate in a in the game through a computer network, such as a local area network or a wide area network. Each player selects an “avatar,” often a three-dimensional figure of a man, woman, or other being, to represent them in the VRU environment. Players send inputs to a VRU engine to move their avatars around the VRU environment, and are able to cause interaction between their avatars and objects in the VRU. For example, a player's avatar may interact with an automated entity or person, simulated static objects, or avatars operated by other participants.
The VRU may take the form of at least one area or environment which is a virtual-reality three-dimensional map existing in a computer memory, consisting of elements that may include but are not limited to representations of rooms, outdoor areas, exotic environments, objects, people, animals, robots, avatars, robot avatars, time elements, additional spatial elements, and activities. Users establish a presence in the VRU by creating or using an avatar, which is a three-dimensional representative of the user in the VRU, and which can be navigated by the user around various environments in the VRU. A view or views of the VRU are displayed to the user using a computer display and user interface software as known in the art. Each user provides input to a computer controlling the VRU using an input device connected to a local node or client, which is in turn connected to the networked computer system. The VRU is shared by multiple participants, using elements from the common memory.
A VRU may be used for game play, on-line commerce, social introductions and networking, advertising, entertainment, or almost any other function that can be performed over a computer network. A VRU is defined not by the functions it performs, but by the appearance and operation of the environment in which multiple participants interact. This environment should simulate a three-dimensional spatial environment with interactive objects and other participants. A VRU may be described as an interactive, real-time three-dimensional animation with multiple participants.
The computer system is used to control the action of the avatars in response to user input. For example, avatars may be limited to simply observing the environment or area. But usually, avatars can interact with some or all of: other avatars, objects, the environment (e.g., walls, floors, roads, lakes, etc.), and automated or robotic avatars within at least one environment. Interactions by one avatar with any other avatar, object, the environment or automated or robotic avatars may, in some cases, but need not, result in outcomes that may effect or otherwise be observed or experienced by other avatars, objects, the environment, and automated or robotic avatars within the environment of the VRU.
Activities such as navigating web sites by visiting a web site and subsequently clicking a hyperlink to visit a different web site should be distinguished from navigation within a VRU. The navigation within a VRU is currently based on the methods used in the real world—namely, walking or running or otherwise maneuvering one's avatar physically from one area or environment to another area or environment, or in the alternative, entering some sort of portal or gateway or other transportation point (or by clicking on a link) to be teleported from one environment or area to another environment or area. The transportation portal may look like a door, a passageway, a wormhole or any of innumerable appearances, but with the effect that the maneuvering of one's avatar into the portal, or otherwise actuating the portal as by clicking or through some other mechanism, will transport one's avatar to a different environment or area.
One drawback of prior-art VRU's is that the environment or area may not be laid out by the designer such that moving one's avatar from one environment or area to another is most efficient for the user. For example, there may be several environments or areas that separate the user's avatar from his intended destination, which environments or areas the user does not wish or need to navigate past. Such physical navigation may be very time-consuming. Another drawback of the VRU is that teleportation from one environment or area to another which the user desires to visit may not be available, or, if available, may be inconveniently located for the user's avatar, such that, once again, the user is burdened with a time-consuming navigation to obtain the desired teleportation option. Therefore, notwithstanding the advantages of existing VRU environments, it is desirable to provide new VRU environments that overcome these and other limitations of the prior art.